2 View from the Chair by Linda Saul
.
Firstly I’d like to welcome the many new members who have joined – 66 new members joined in 2023 and 20 in the first six weeks of the New Year. I encourage you to get involved and meet other members if you haven’t already done so. RGA Fridays, Summer Painting Days, Earley Painters and Teatime Socials are all excellent opportunities to get to know other artists.
The monthly Teatime Socials are always on a Tuesday at The Narrowboat* (previously Bel and The Dragon) at Blake’s Lock and we have a healthy core of regulars. The date is given in the Monthly Bulletin. Why not pop along and say hello, new faces are always welcome.
I’d like to thank Trish Roberts, our Exhibition Secretary, for her sterling work in delivering three successful exhibitions in 2023, and everyone else, including council members and the exhibition team, who contribute so much to making exhibitions happen. Particular thanks should be made to Jane Somner, our Publicity Officer, who is sadly standing down this year but exceeded her own usual high standards with an amazing PR campaign for our 92nd Annual Exhibition in 2023. For 2024 we have another Small Works Exhibition at the Turbine House to look forward to, and the exciting prospect of having our 93rd Annual Exhibition at the University of Reading. It has been a very rare thing over recent years for us to have our Annual Exhibition in Reading but this year we return to the Institute of Education Art Building, a lovely space that we have used in the past for our Summer Shows. We are indebted to the University for inviting us again. At the time of writing our Reading Gaol Challenge, which was open to all members, has closed to entries and we are feverishly working on an online exhibition of the works – keep an eye on your email for more information.
The monthly email bulletin remains our main means of communication with members together with the new members’ website or “wiki”. Whenever we have an exhibition or challenge the entry details are on the wiki. Links are provided in the bulletins and other occasional emails. The wiki also includes information on how exhibiting members can request/update a gallery page on the website. We like to notify members of other members’ events such as exhibitions and art Monthly Bulletins – are you receiving us?
trails in the bulletins, but we can only do that if people let us know what they are doing.
Finally, thank you to our hard-working council members who keep the RGA show on the road throughout the year, planning event programmes, doing the less glamorous but necessary administration, communicating with members … the list goes on. A case in point is the document you hold in your hands –
the Annual Review – for which we are indebted to our Editors, Jane Somner, Martina Hildebrandt and Markus Hildebrandt, and to the many others who have contributed content. On the Back Cover: Picture of the Month artists, (left top to bottom) Carole Stephens, Sue Tait, Lou Jessop, Nina O’Connell, (middle top to bottom) Paul Woolley, Isaac Pascal, Richard Cave, Linda Graves, (right top to bottom) Robert Fitzmaurice, Helen Lunn, William Redman, Kate Ellison-Bourne.
- At the time of going to print with this Annual Review we have sadly learnt that The Narrowboat is closing, therefore we are looking for a new venue for our Teatime Socials. Please look out for the Monthly Bulletin for the latest news!
Reading Guilds of Artist CIO Financial Statement of Accounts 2023 - as at 31/12/2023 Statement of receipts and payments
| Receipts | Payments | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| see note | 23y £ |
22y £ |
see note | 23y £ |
22y £ |
||
| Membership | 1 | 3,895 | 2,050 | Member Services | 6 | 1,958 | 2,175 |
| Exhibitions | 2 | 4,624 | 5,990 | Exhibitions | 7 | 3,792 | 5,638 |
| Workshops | 3 | 1,127 | 202 | Workshops | 8 | 1,735 | 828 |
| Interest | 4 | 304 | 2 | Governance | 9 | 936 | 0 |
| Other receipts | 5 | 517 | Other payments | 10 | 639 | - | |
| 10,466 | 6,767 | 9,061 | 8,804 | ||||
| Statement of | |||||||
| assets and | |||||||
| liabilities | |||||||
| 23y | 22y | 23y | 22y | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Brought | |||||||
| forward, 1 | |||||||
| Jan | 17,553 | 17,797 | CAFCash current | 2,760 | 1,432 | ||
| 16,19 | |||||||
| CAF Gold deposit | 7 | 15,620 | |||||
| Surplus / | |||||||
| (deficiency) | |||||||
| of | Cash | 1 | 210 | ||||
| receipts over | |||||||
| payments | 1,405 | (561) | Debtors | - | |||
| 18,95 | |||||||
| Gross Assets | 8 | ||||||
| Liabilities (creditors) | 0 | 25 | |||||
| Carried | |||||||
| forward, 29 | 18,95 | ||||||
| Dec | 18,958 | 17,236 | Net assets | 8 | 17,236 |
General. The accounts are presented in the same format as previously. The receipts and payments made in 2023 are generally recorded as being in that year, even if the event they relate to belongs in another year. Examples are the subscriptions received and room hire, if any, paid in advance for the next year. Overall the Guild has made a surplus mainly due to the increase in members Membership.(note 1) Recorded subscription income was more than in 2022 due to an increase in membership and more members renewing in the current year.
Members services ( note 6) Insurance costs have increased (£753) the other expenses were for the website and Annual review (£1002)
Exhibitions. (Note 2). Three exhibitions were held successfully. The Annual exhibition recorded a surplus (£576) . There were no hand in fees for the RBH exhibition and commission went to the RBH Charity. Small works showed a surplus(£146) due to hand in fees from the number of participating artists. Commission on sales here (£199) went to the Museum for hire of Turbine House Gallery.
Workshops ( Note 3 ). Earley painters returned to Maiden Place Community Centre , the rent here is lower than the previous hall but the workshop again made a loss. Friday workshops took place in St Peters Church Hall . These have been very well attended but are still subsidised .Overall workshops made a loss but this subsidy is in line with the Guild’s charitable aims of art education.
Interest / Governance ( Note 4 /9). Charges on the CAF cash account remain at £5 a month with a nominal interest rate ,interest on the CAF Gold account has increased realising £304 overall. Council meetings and other meetings for exhibitions etc were conducted via zoom costing £15.59 a month.
Other Receipts/payments ( Note 5 /10). there were two donations last year from the families of two RGA members who have sadly died. The sale of Carole Pembrooke’s art materials raised £357 and art equipment donated from Jacqueline Brown’s family raised £160.
A projector was purchased using the Carole’s family’s donations for use at the RGA lectures.
A more detailed table of accounts can be viewed on request.
Clare Buchta RGA Treasurer March 2024